arguchik | running and foot log

yay! back with the running logs. i ran 2 this morning--it felt really good. the frozen water bottle trick i got from the doc has helped a lot, and really quickly. i just started doing it over the weekend and i've been waking up pain-free.

2 other things have helped:

first, i've been reading danny dreyer's book, Chi Running, which is really great. normally i'm skeptical of running books--they often recommend a bunch of hi-tech gadgetry that doesn't interest me at all. stuff like heart rate monitors, watches with lap counters (i already have one of those and i never use it), music players, etc. OR they are all spacey and new agey, telling you to hold a crystal in your hand while running, etc. but dreyer recommends simply paying attention to your body. he's been running for a really long time, as well as learning tai chi, and has applied some of his t'ai chi skills to running. this is not to say that there are no worrisome aspects and pie in the sky promises in this book, but once you read past the self-promotional "coach" pitch, the basic approach is very sensible and non-intrusive. it meshes well with the approach i've always tried to take to running. one thing i really appreciated reading in his book:

"This book presents an alternative to what we call power running. ChiRunning is based on the centuries-old principle from T'ai Chi that states, Less is more. Getting back to that childhood way of running doesn't come from building bigger muscles, it comes from relaxing muscles, opening tight joints, and using gravity to do the work instead of pushing and forcing your body to move in ways that can do it harm. Most runners, especially those over 35, will tell you that running can keep you in good shape but it's hard on your body. I developed ChiRunning because I really didn't believe that pounding and injury should be a part of running. I just didn't buy it." (4)

i've never heard a running coach say something like this. usually they treat injuries as regrettable but inevitable. i have never believed that either. they are not inevitable! when my running is going well, when i'm loose and really enjoying my running, i never get injured. it's only when i've had to take some time off from running, and am trying to start back up again, that i get injured. and the reason is plain to me: i try to push myself, to do too much too soon; even when i think i'm not, i am. anxiety about age and weight gain and decrepitude chases me, nips at my heels, makes me do more than i should while denying it. this doesn't mean that running doesn't feel good when i'm in that phase--it feels great!--it just means that i am too anxious to get back to where i was before, and that distracts me from paying attention to where i am now, what's happening inside of my body and my mind now. i suppose that's a useful lesson for everything, not just running.

anyway, the main advice i've taken from him so far: pay close attention to posture and form, and quicken and shorten the stride. today i was focusing on both of those things, and i very quickly realized what probably caused my plantar fasciitis, at least what aspects of my running contributed to it: my posture has gone to shit over the last couple of years, and i've been running with a longer stride than i should. when i shortened up my stride this morning, and paid attention to my posture, i could feel my foot strike shifting from hard on my heels to right in the midfoot where it belongs. i can already tell that that's putting a lot less strain on my PF.

the second thing that has helped: i've been wearing my old running shoes to walk around during the day. and here's something that should help more: late last week i ordered 2 pairs of birkenstocks footprints shoes online. they came yesterday, and they are very comfortable. i was only going to keep one pair, because they are quite expensive, but i really like both of them so...screw it, i'm keeping both.